Memory game tips: remember more cards and find pairs faster

How memory matching games work

A memory game, also called pairs or a matching game, starts with every card face down. Each picture appears on exactly two cards. On your turn you flip two cards. If they match, you keep the pair and go again. If not, they turn back over and the next player has a go. Whoever finds the most pairs wins.

In Memory Match on PlayTrova you can choose from three board sizes:

• Small: 4×3 cards, 6 pairs. A gentle start for young children.
• Classic: 4×4 cards, 8 pairs. The standard game.
• Big: 5×4 cards, 10 pairs. A real memory workout.

Two details make a big difference. Cards that don't match stay face up until the next card is flipped, so nobody has to rush to see them. And pairs that have been found stay on the board in the winner's colour, which (as you'll see below) is useful.

Tip 1: Flip cards in a system, not at random

Random flipping makes everything harder to remember, because the pictures you've seen end up scattered all over the board. Instead, work through the board in order: along the top row first, then the next row, or one corner at a time. "Third card in the top row" is far easier to remember than "that one somewhere on the left".

Then use the same routine on every turn:

1. Do I know a pair? If you've seen both cards of a picture, take them now.
2. If not, flip a card you've never seen as your first card. That's the card that might match something you remember.
3. If its partner is a card you've seen, flip it and collect the pair.
4. If not, flip a second new card and take a good look at both pictures before they turn back.

Tip 2: Say the cards out loud

This is the easiest trick of all, and it works for kids and grown-ups alike. When a card turns over, say what it is and where it is: "puppy, top corner", "pizza, middle row". Seeing a picture and saying it at the same time makes it much easier to remember.

For younger players, turn it into a story: "The fox is asleep in the top corner and the frog jumped into the bottom row." Silly stories are easier to remember than lists, and kids love making them up. PlayTrova's cards show friendly animals, fruit, toys and everyday things, so there's always something to say about them.

Tip 3: Remember positions in groups

Holding 16 or 20 separate cards in your head is hard. Holding a few small groups is much easier. Split the board into zones, such as the four corners and the middle, or one row at a time, and remember each zone as a little set.

• Give each row a theme. "The top row has the animals: kitten, panda, lion."
• Use the corners as anchors. Corner and edge cards are the easiest positions to remember, so lock those in first.
• Use found pairs as landmarks. Matched cards stay on the board, so "the card next to the rocket pair" is easy to find again.
• Link near neighbours. When both cards of a picture sit close together, join them up: "two bananas, side by side".

Memory matters most in the middle of the game, when you've seen lots of cards but matched only a few. That's when a good system pays off. As more pairs are found, the board shrinks and gets easier.

Tip 4: Watch every flip, including your opponents'

When you play with other people, their turns are free information. Every card they flip is a card you now know, as long as you're paying attention. Plenty of games are won by the player who quietly watched the other side's misses, then collected two or three pairs in a row.

The computer characters play the same way. They only know cards that have actually been turned over, and their memories differ: Rookie Robo forgets most cards, Clever Cat remembers quite a lot, Sly Fox watches every card you flip, and Grandmaster Owl remembers almost everything. Beating each one in turn is a fun way to see your memory improve.

One advanced idea for close games: if your first card is new and you don't know where its partner is, some players flip a card they've already seen as their second card. It gives up a lucky guess, but it also avoids uncovering a new picture for the next player. Try it near the end of a tight game against Sly Fox or Grandmaster Owl.

Memory games for kids: playing as a family

Matching games are a wonderful first game for young children. The rules take a minute to explain, there's no reading, and it's one of the few games where children can beat adults fair and square. A few ideas to make it work:

• Start small. The Small board with 6 pairs keeps games short and successful. Move up to Classic once they're winning easily.
• Play with up to four people on one device. Pass the phone or tablet around the table, or sit together around a tablet.
• Play as a team. A younger child can team up with a grown-up against Rookie Robo, taking turns to choose the cards.
• Let kids do the naming. Saying the pictures out loud practises words as well as memory.
• Don't rush. Mismatched cards stay face up until the next flip, so give everyone time to look.
• Family far away? Two players can play on different devices by sending a link, which is a lovely way to play with grandparents.

For more family favourites, see our list of the best 2 player games for kids or browse all our kids games.

Track your progress with the daily memory challenge

The Fewest flips solo challenge gives everyone the same 4×4 deck each day. Find all 8 pairs in as few flips as you can. 16 flips is perfect (and needs plenty of luck), 24 or fewer earns three stars and 30 or fewer earns two.

Because your score is simply the number of flips, it's a good way to see your system working. Play one day flipping wherever you fancy, then try the row-by-row routine and the say-it-out-loud trick the next day, and compare your scores.

Want to train your focus in a different way? Snap Duel is a fast picture game where you tap only when a picture matches the rule, and Sea Battle rewards keeping track of every square you've already ruled out. You'll find more in our learning games and puzzle games.

Frequently asked questions